A California man who used his home as a short-term vacation rental has been charged with filming his guests — including children — “during private moments without their knowledge.”
Christian Parmalee Edwards, 44, has been charged with multiple felonies “related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material,” the Madera County Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators said other charges, including invasion of privacy, are pending.
The sheriff’s office said it began an investigation after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and found more than 4,000 digital files containing child sexual abuse when they executed a search warrant at the Oakhurst home last Thursday.
Police seized all of Edwards’ electronic devices that they found during the search.
“When they seized his devices at the home, they began uncovering videos of children and women being filmed in places where they should have had their privacy,” Madera County Sheriff’s Office Director of Communications Kate Woertman told KFSN.
Woertman said Edwards made his recordings himself — not with hidden cameras but “through cracks in the blinds in little private areas.”
Investigators ask anyone who may have rented Edwards’ home to contact Detective Eder Andrade at (559) 517-7997 or the Madera County Sheriff’s Office at (559) 675-7770. They say he began renting out his home in 2023.
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[Featured image: Edwards’ home in Oakhurst. Inset: Christian Edwards/Madera County Sheriff’s Office]